HTN - Exercise and Fitness

Physical activity can help reduce your blood pressure.

• Exercise and fitness can play a major role in the prevention and treatment of hypertension. Studies show less active persons are 30% to 50% more likely to develop hypertension than their active counterparts.
• Simply walking 30 to 45 minutes most days of the week (150 minutes per week) reduces systolic blood pressure in adults by an average of 2% in both normotensive and hypertensive patients, independent of body weight change.
• For people with normal blood pressure (<120/80 mm Hg), physical activity can promote weight maintenance and the prevention of hypertension as they age.
• To keep blood pressure within normal limits, continued physical activity is necessary. For individuals trying to control hypertension, it may take several months of regular exercise to have an effect on blood pressure. Furthermore, the benefits last only as long as exercise is continued.

For more information, the following resources may be referenced:

Mahan, LK, Escott-Stump, S. Krause's Food and Nutrition Therapy. 12th Ed. WB Saunders, 2008.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20045206.

Benefits of Physical Activity

The benefits of smart and healthy physical activity are limitless, especially in regards to hypertension.

It has been shown that aerobic exercise is extremely effective in lowering blood pressure. Some examples of aerobic exercise include climbing stairs, household chores, walking, bicycling, running and swimming. Strength training may temporarily spike blood pressure, however it offers long-term benefits with regards to lowering blood pressure. It is important to learn proper form for strength training exercises in order to exercise effectively while reducing risk of injury.

The above information and more on types of exercise to reduce hypertension can be found at:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20045206?pg=1

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/phys/types

http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/news/20040309/new-guidelines-exercise-hypertension

The following links provide even more statistical data on how exercise can be beneficial to those struggling with hypertension as well as tips for the correct kind of exercise:

http://www.acefitness.org/fitfacts/fitfacts_display.aspx?itemid=110

http://www.nature.com/jhh/journal/v19/n8/full/1001851a.html

Determine Your Exercise Needs
In order for physical activity to be effective, personal exercise needs must be determined. The following information may prove to be useful in determining those needs; however, it is always recommended to consult a physician before beginning an exercise regime.

The following links explain the recommended intensity level and duration of your workouts and provide more information on the benefits of exercise in regards to blood pressure.

http://consumer.healthday.com/encyclopedia/high-blood-pressure-24/blood-pressure-news-70/hypertension-and-exercise-645419.html

http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/talktest.html

Tips For Beginning Exercise

With all of the information circulating the web, many people do not know where to begin when it comes to exercise. The following link is a slideshow presented at WebMD.com that gives tips for beginning exercise to decrease hypertension. Some of the tips listed include the following:

• Put the fun back in exercise! Team sports and games can be included to make workouts enjoyable.
• Hit the gym for strength training. Aim to include strength training in your workouts at least twice a week.
• If you do not enjoy heat-pumping conditioning exercises, try swimming. Swimming is also a great workout for anyone with joint pain or arthritis.
• Incorporate exercise seamlessly into your busy schedule. Minor changes like walking to work or school, taking the stairs, and parking further away from entrances can boost physical activity without drastically changing your schedule.
• Try mini workouts. Two 15 minute sessions are just as good as one 30 minute session of exercise.

An exercise partner is a great option to help you through your workout routine. You can hold each other accountable and make exercise a fun social time!

Setting Goals

Goal setting is an important step for accomplishing difficult tasks. SMART is a useful acronym to help with goal setting. SMART can be used for long and short-term goals. Goals should be:

• Specific

• Measurable

• Attainable

• Rewarding

• Time-bound

The following links provide more information about why and how to set goals in regards to exercise:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/227476-motivation-exercise-goal-setting/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/84376-goal-setting-exercise/



Target Heart Rate

• A target heart rate represents about 50% - 85% of maximum heart rate and is often used to gauge intensity levels during exercise.
• Target heart rate depends on age and can be roughly calculated by subtracting your age in years from 220.
  • For example the target heart rate of a 28 year old would be 220-28 years = 192 beats per minute.
• Calculate your target heart rate quickly and learn how to monitor it during exercise.
• An easy way to indicate target heart rate is maintaining the ability to hold conversation while exercising. If talking is too difficult during exercise, it may be a sign to slow down a little bit.
• Remember that the target heart rate for people taking certain types of drugs like beta blockers will be different because these drugs slow the heart down. Always check with your doctor before starting any exercise regime.
• More information on the effects of beta blockers can be found at: How do beta blocker drugs affect exercise?